Interactions
True or false: all interspecific relationships are negative or harmful.
False: some interspecific relationships can be beneficial, or positive.
Would there be more humus in a deciduous forest’s soil or in a tundra’s soil?
A deciduous forest’s soil would have more humus.
How many kinds of aquatic ecosystems have we studied? Name them:
There are two aquatic ecosystems: saltwater and freshwater.
What are the three main terrestrial ecosystems in Spain?
Atlantic forests in the north, Mediterranean forests in the south, and dehesas in the east and southwest.
What is the difference between biotope and biocenosis?
Biotope refers to the physical environment that the biocenosis, or the living things, inhabit. The relationship between these two is called an ecosystem.
What is the difference between mutualism and symbiosis?
The level of commitment: Two species can live without each other in a mutualistic relationship, but in a symbiotic relationship, the relationship is long-term. (think of the difference between dating and marrying someone).
What is the name of the horizon that contains soil mixed with fragments of bedrock?
Substratum (horizon B)
What is the most important abiotic factor that affects aquatic ecosystems?
Salinity: the amount of salt in the water.
What kind of terrestrial ecosystem, or biome, are we in right now, here in La Rioja?
La Rioja is in a temperate climate zone, in a deciduous forest ecosystem.
Explain the concept of a tolerance range:
A tolerance range explains a species’ capacity to withstand a particular biotic or abiotic factor, showing the limits at which the population can survive.
Explain parasitism and give an example:
It is a harmful interaction where one species (the parasite) benefits from the other (the host). For example, lice nesting in human hair.
What is the name of the horizon that contains humus and minerals?
Surface soil (horizon A)
Give an example of flowing freshwater ecosystems:
Rivers and streams.
What is the difference between deciduous trees and evergreens?
Deciduous trees have leaves that fall in autumn and winter, and regrow in spring and summer, while evergreens do not lose their leaves. In Spain, deciduous trees are common in Atlantic forests, while evergreens are common in Mediterranean forests.
What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors?
Biotic factors originate in the biocenosis, while abiotic factors originate in the biotope. Examples of abiotic factors: temperature, precipitation, humidity, light, pressure, soil composition, water salinity, etc.
True or false: in commensalism, one species uses part of the body of another species as a home. Explain your answer!
False: that described inquilinism. In commensalism, one species eats the food left over by another species.
True or false: the formation of layers of rock and soil (the horizons of soil) can take thousands of years.
True: that’s why it’s important to protect the soil and not change it too much, because it can have bad consequences for the living things it supports.
What is the difference between wetlands and lakes/lagoons? Are they examples of fresh or saltwater?
The depth of the water: wetlands are shallow (not deep), while lakes and lagoons are deeper than wetlands. They are examples of freshwater.
True or false: there can be deserts in cold climate zones? Explain.
True: polar deserts, like hot deserts, have very little precipitation, but their temperatures are below freezing.
Do intraspecific relationships involve individuals from the same or different species?
Intraspecific relationships involve individuals from the same species. Some examples include: families, colonies, groups, and societies.
Name the 7 types of interspecific interactions we have studied. (Hint: three are harmful, four are beneficial.)
Harmful: competition, predation, and parasitism.
Beneficial: mutualism, symbiosis, commensalism, and inquilinism.
How many horizons does soil have? Name them:
There are five horizons: they are (O) organic topsoil, (A) surface soil, (B) subsoil, (C) substratum, and (R) unchanged bedrock.
Explain the photic, bathyal, and abyssal zones of saltwater ecosystems:
The photic zone is closest to the surface, so it has the most light. The bathyal zone is in the middle, it receives much less light and the water pressure is high. The abyssal zone is the deepest, so it has absolutely no light.
What is a taiga?
A biome in a cold climate zone where the winters are snowy and the summers are mild and humid.
True or false: a dehesa is a naturally occurring terrestrial ecosystem?
False: dehesas result when Mediterranean forests are changed by human activity.